Free Me
by Masaichu
Summary: How do you save someone who no longer wishes to be saved? LuffyxUsopp. Contains Yaoi and mild langauge. On Permanent Hiatus for now.
1. Never Ending Time

It's been a few monthes, hasn't it? Since it all happened? I thought so...

You know, I've missed you a lot since then. I think about you almost all the time. Where are you, are you alright?

Didn't you realize I'd worry? Ah, but you were probably thinking more about everyone else than me. Did you hear about how they finally caught them? I don't think you did because if you had, you would have come back.

Or you could have started a new life somewhere else in a distant city.

I call your cellphone number twice a day, if you don't know. If you threw it out though, that would explain why you have never picked it up to talk to me.

You're scared to talk to me, aren't you? I'm not going to be mad at you...Hell, I have no reason to be mad at you.

I'm more worried than anything else. When I finally figured out what was going on...God, I can't believe I didn't see it sooner.

How could I have not seen something so obvious?

On days like this, when the sun is beating down and the sky is clear, I sit in the grass and I think about all those questions.

The one thing I don't think I'll ever figure out, is why you never told me. You know I would have helped you.

I would have even run away with you.

Money, food, shelter...I would have given you anything at all if it meant you'd stay here and be with me forever. We wouldn't care what anyone else said to us. We would be the kings of this town.

But you probably didn't think about it. You just wanted to leave this place.

I know how you must have felt though...I want you to know that I still love you, despite it all. I'll keep calling every day, in case you want to talk to me.

I'll keep on leaving messages, if you want to hear my voice. I'll always write about you, just so you know I'm thinking of you.

Forgetting something like this is just too hard...I remember it so clearly...As if it were just yesturday...

I know you think of it too. It hurts, doesn't it? It does for me...

Am I getting too far ahead? I'll go back to the beginning then...


	2. Hesitate

High School was _murder_ on us, I remember that really well. No matter what, we were always struggling in one thing or another.

Gym class was defiantly your worst, cause you never liked running much. And whenever we had captains choosing teams, you always got picked last.

Except that one time, when I was captain, and I chose you first. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy, but I just started laughing, and than you did, too.

We were untouchable when we felt that way, even if it was on rare occasions. I still can't keep my mind off of the old times, even though you would probably hit me in the head and tell me to move on.

I can't move on without you here though. It's not better because you're gone, Usopp. It's worse than it was before. My mind just keeps replaying each moment over and over again. Everything I could have made better...Every moment I could have done something...

The one moment that keeps playing in my mind is the Junior Prom. I still have the picture of us sitting on my desk. My arm around your waist, and you smiling wider than I'd ever seen you. It was probably the only beautiful thing that happened that night...

--

_"Ohhh! Look at this place! Doesn't it look great, Usopp?" Luffy stepped inside the gymnasium doors, eyes wide at the decorations surrounding the walls. Behind him, Usopp stayed outside the door, looking down slightly._

_Already, they'd been dating secretly for a few months now, even thinking of renting an apartment or something together. Usopp's parents never seemed to be around anymore, and Luffy hated to see him so alone._

_Maybe that had been one of the things that attracted him to Usopp. They both spent much of their time alone..._

_"...L...Luffy...I'm not sure about this..." His voice drifted into quietness as he pretended to be fascinated with the pattern of buttons going down the black tuxedo he wore._

_"Why not?" Turning back, he motioned for Usopp to come inside._

_"I just...I just can't! I don't want people finding out..."_

_"Eh? Finding out what?" Sometimes, Usopp was annoyed that Luffy just couldn't get it._

_"Finding out about...Us..." True to his word, he was terrified about what people would say or do if they found out just what he and Luffy were. Just listening to what they did to people like them..._

_Staring for a long moment, Luffy walked back outside, placing his hands on Usopp's shoulders, only to watch him look around quickly to make sure no one was watching them._

_"Usopp, I promise that no one is going to hurt you just because we're together now." His voice was low, whispered._

_As much as he respected Usopp's wishes, he knew they couldn't hide forever._

_"B-But...You saw what happened..." Tears slowly came into his eyes when he remembered just a few weeks ago..._

_Just as they'd walked into the park together, holding hands tightly, it hadn't been long before Usopp was thrown to the ground._

_Luffy was lucky to have been able to stop those thugs from beating him to a bloody pulp._

_Running a hand up Usopp's arm, he could see him wince as his hand ran over the old bruise still blue on his elbow._

_"I did...And I'm not going to let it happen again...Now come on...You don't have to be scared as long as I'm with you..."_

_Slipping his hand into Usopp's with a smile, they walked through the doors together..._

--

As soon as I felt your hand tighten on mine, I knew you were afraid.AndI never told you this, but really, I was kind of scared too.

But it wasn't because I didn't want people to know, it was because I was afraid something _would_ happen.

At the time though, I was just glad you were going to go through with it. The first thing we did was go straight for the photographers...

--

_"You sure I look good?" Usopp asked, still trying to fix his hair while holding the tiny mirror._

_"You __always__ look good."_

_Rolling his eyes and stepping up on the podium, Usopp wrapped his arm around Luffy and leaned on him. Luffy's arm snaked around his waist in the same fashion, his most prominent feature being the grin he flashed the camera._

_The light flashed, and it was done._

_Luffy was the first to hop down from the podium, skidding on the floor before catching Usopp as he skidded near him._

_"I think it turned out well..." Leaning in slightly to kiss Usopp's forehead, he suddenly felt himself being pushed away._

_"N-Not here...Please...People are watching us..."_

_Behind Usopp, a small group of people had formed, staring at the couple while whispering and giggling like third graders._

_"Just ignore them, they don't know anything..."_

_Perhaps he was right._

--

I didn't realize anything was really going to happen until later, when we were over by the snack table. This group of senior guys just walked up to us real slowly, and then one of them pushed you as hard as he could.

--

_Falling backwards, Usopp slammed into the table and fell to the floor, the punch bowl getting dragged down with him._

_"OI!! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?" Luffy yelled instantly at the seniors, who were all laughing now. As they walked off, one lashed his leg out before tripping Luffy._

_Grabbing the table and keeping his balance, he wanted to go running after them and punch the living daylights out of them._

_Until he saw Usopp still laying on the ground._

_Kneeling down, he brushed the broken shards of the bowl away until Usopp was all that was left._

_He was shivering slightly, drenched in the punch. Pulling him up, Luffy tried his best to comfort him, wrapping his arms around him and holding him close._

_"...Are you alright...?" Running a hand through his soaked hair, he could hear Usopp trying to speak, but all that came out were choked sobs._

_"Luffy...I...Can't stay...Here..." His breath was growing heavy as tears began to fall down his face. The snickering around them was making it even worse to bare._

_"I know...We can leave now...We'll go back to my house..."_

--

You never told me a lot about your parents, other then that they almost never were around, and that when they were, they were horrible in all ways.

I didn't believe it really though, because when I saw them, they'd always be smiling and one of them would have their arm around you.

Even though I kept insisting on letting you move in with me and my parents, you would say no. That didn't stop me from making you come anyway. A day of dragging your stuff in and out to the car, driving to my place and unloading was enough to get a 'yes.'

I loved having you live with me, because then we would never have to be apart. You told me later though that your parents got extremely mad about it. It didn't matter to me as long as I could be with you...

--

_Luffy kept his arm around Usopp like a crutch, helping to him to move as he limped slightly on his leg. He swore, if he ever met that guy again, he was going to punch him right in the jaw for it._

_And all that snickering and laughter...Some people were just too immature, that had to be it._

_They walked in silence, listening to the wind rustle the trees in the night air. Occasionally, Luffy could hear a small sob or two, and he pull Usopp closer to him._

_When they finally got to the house, the first place they headed was upstairs. Sitting on the side of the bathtub, Usopp watched Luffy kneel down and unbutton the soaked tuxedo._

_Sliding it down his arms, he stood and turned away, giving Usopp some privacy to undress until he had all the clothes in a bundle in his arms._

_"I'll go wash these out as best I can...You can take a long shower and maybe we'll eat something..."_

_Shutting the door behind him, Luffy leaned against it for a moment, taking a deep breath. This wasn't what he'd wanted to happen on one of their happiest nights._

_Perhaps he could make it up somehow with Usopp's favorite meal. Maybe play his favorite music too._

--

The tuxedo is still in the closet, a huge red stain right in the middle of it. I don't know why I didn't just throw it out.

It's not like you're ever going to want to wear it again anyway. Every time I think of that night, I wish I that I had done more to help you.

Even so, we never talked about it again, I don't think. I just made your favorite dinner, put on some music and we spent the rest of the night up in the bedroom, laying down and watching TV.

--

_"If you can't choose, should I just pop in "The Exorcist?"_

_"HELL NO!"_

_Luffy had to laugh as Usopp scrambled beneath the sheets, shivering._

_"I am NEVER watching that movie again!"_

_"Alright, alright. Sorry for mentioning it."_

_To him, one of the best parts was not the movie itself, but picking one out. Usopp had different tastes from him, but they could always agree on comedy films, and even a romance once in a while._

_"How about that one? I thought you liked that one."_

_"...Yeah, it's fine." Peeking out from the blankets and punching the pillow up a few times to make it comfortable, Usopp leaned back as the movie began._

_He found himself more tired then before as Luffy's arm wrapped around him and pulled him closer._

--

I still like watching those movies now, but it's not the same without you. Comedy movies don't make me laugh really when I can't hear you laughing along with me.

Horror movies don't feel right either, because you're not clenching my arm with your eyes shut, asking me "Is it over yet? Is it over yet? Oh, please tell me it's over..."

Even though that night wasn't the entire reason you left, it was surely one of them. I just wish you'd come back to me. Then we could watch a bunch of sad movies and cry our eyes out while eating whole packages of cookies and such.

Maybe that wouldn't be such a bad idea...If only you were with me to hear it.

--

Alright, before you hit that little review button, I apologize if the prom thing was little off, but I myself have yet to go to a prom, so the details might be off.  
But aside from that, what do you think? Is the story looking good or not? Give me any suggestions you may have!


	3. Joy

Even though I wasn't the working type, you had some of that in you. That's probably how we kept the house from getting sold, what with our parents gone all the time.

But it wasn't a fancy job, working at a fast food resteraunt. At least it put some money out for us, and sometimes I could get an odd job here or there. I guess I always had an excuse. That it was too busy or too complicated. And it was.

I remember it was complicated.

--

_Leaning back against the couch, Usopp yawned tiredly while rubbing his eye. Renting video games could be fun, but it would keep them up for hours into the night, even when they tried to stop._

_It was too addicting after awhile, especially if they were winning the game. Dropping the controller into his lap, Luffy lay on the side of the couch tiredly, shutting his eyes for only a moment._

_That is, until the alarm clock rang on the table nearby. That was when Usopp had woken up enough to realize he was in trouble._

_"THERE'S ONLY AN HOUR UNTIL I HAVE TO GO!!" He yelled, scrambling off the couch to get into some better clothes._

_Luffy raised his arm up, only to drop once again at his side._

_"Just call in sick or something..." He began to doze off again mid sentence._

_"I can't afford to call in a sick day!!" Usopp yelled from the bedroom, digging recklessly through the closet for some pants._

_His body felt weak, and the sudden rush of adrenaline made him shake all over. Pulling on a pair of shorts, he made a mad dash downstairs again, looking for the pieces of his uniform._

_"Auuugh! I can't do this!"_

_Looking up from where he lay, Luffy slid his hand to the side table drawer, though it took several tries to find the knob until he could grasp it. Rummaging through it, he tossed a small bottle over to Usopp._

_"Just drink that and you'll feel great." Yawning, he turned to lay on his back on the couch._

_Catching the bottle while pulling on his hat, Usopp took a glance at it._

_"5 Hour Energy Drink?"_

_"Trust me, it works."_

_Seeing as he had no other options and only a few more minutes to get out of the house, he pulled the lid off and took a long drink._

_"...I don't feel any different." Usopp shrugged after a pause._

_"It'll kick in when you get there."_

_Grabbing the keys off the counter, he gave Luffy a final look as he ran to the door._

_"This place had better be-"_

_"Clean when you get back. I know, I know. Just let me take a nap and then I'll do it."_

_With a sigh, Usopp was out the door in a flash._

--

It turned out that drink didn't give you much luck. You were so exhausted when you got home that you just crashed into bed and fell asleep in an instant.

When you finally did wake up, you told me how much your body was shaking all day, and that it go so bad that you couldn't even stamp the customer's wrists.

And if you did, the shaking just made it slide around. However, you got to keep your job, which made the two of us quite relieved in the end. I think we stopped renting games for a long time after that day.

Not forever though, because I do remember us renting a few games before you left. But then, I had excuses.

I remember it was complicated.

I just can't remember _why_.

--

Yes, it was a short chapter, but the next one shall be longer to make up for it. Any feedback you may have for me would be great appreciated.  
Till next time!


	4. Pained Truth

Even though you're gone now, things at school still seem to go about the same. The one considerable difference though, is that some of the people that used to push you around act like they're sorry for it or something.

After you left, people would start saying things like "Oh, I shouldn't have done this to him" or even "Maybe he'd still be here if that jerk hadn't done that to him."

If they had really cared, they wouldn't have done it in the first place, so it does nothing to help me feel better. I just want to scream some sense into them.

Because honestly? If they weren't any different back then, what makes them think they'll instantly change if you ever decide to come back to me?

You always were seen as the unpopular guy, the 'out' kid. I hated how everyone saw you, and I took it upon myself to protect you from anyone who tried to cause any harm to you.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Pulling Usopp into a tight embrace, Luffy shut his eyes tightly as he felt multiple fists strike him. As much as it hurt, his grip wouldn't fail, he would make sure of it._

_After only a few moments, the group of males began to walk off, laughing at the two bodies laying almost lifelessly on the ground._

_Usopp coughed a few times before he felt a hand run up his back and pat it gently. His thin arms wound around Luffy, and he clung to him as much as he possibly could without causing more pain._

_"You alright, Usopp...?" Opening one eye to look at him, he didn't get a response. But that was fine with him, he didn't need one to know what had happened._

_He was just here to pick up the pieces._

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Those guys were always giving us crap, but somehow we managed. I'd always be wrapping some part of your body in bandages, and you'd always be taking it easy while laying in bed.

I think you enjoyed part of it though. Because I would be caring for you, and that was more than your parents ever seemed to do.

One night always sticks in my mind though. That night you started talking about your parents, and that was when I started to figure out just how bad everything was for you.

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_Wrapping another gauze pad around bloody bruise on his arm, Luffy could practically feel Usopp cringing and twitching in the bed._

_He lay propped up on a few pillows with a blanket around his legs. For a long while, he watched the bandages wrap around his arm like a pole being covered in ribbon._

_The room was quiet, more quiet than usual, but it didn't stay that way for long as Luffy suddenly found himself speaking, not knowing he was going into dangerous territory._

_"You really should tell your parents about all these guys...They might do something about it."_

_"I doubt it." Usopp glared slightly, wincing as the bandages were given a final tightening._

_"Haven't you told them anything about it?"_

_"Why should I? They don't care about me, they just care about their damn jobs."_

_"That can't be true...You're their son, they have to love you!"_

_Regret filled him as soon as he spoke. Backing up slightly, a shiver swam down his spine as Usopp glared at him. It was a cold, unnerving glare that didn't even seem like it came from Usopp._

_"I'm not their son. Not to them. They're not even my real parents."_

_This was a surprise for Luffy to hear. All this time, he'd never known anything about this. Usopp never told, so he never pressed him on to talk about it. But now he was, and he wanted to know more._

_"They're not...?" His mouth seemed to feel more dry._

_"They're my __step__-parents." Turning onto his side, Usopp curled into a ball, rubbing his bruised arm slowly._

_"My real parents were taken away from me..."_

_"Taken from you...?" Luffy repeated._

_"I was only four...We were driving in the afternoon and these men came up to the car when we stopped at the edge of the road to look at a map...They told my parents to get out of the car or they'd kill them..."_

_Luffy stayed still as he listened, this new found information trying to sink in. But how could it? Usopp's life had never been the way he'd imagined it had been, and now listening to this, it was even more disheartening._

_"My father got out first...And my mother turned to me and whispered that I be quiet until they came back...But...I...I couldn't stop crying...They just took them...And when the police came, they never even found them..."_

_Tears were filling his eyes now, and he thrashed his body to the side slightly, as though the images of something unsightly were within his vision._

_"No bodies...N-Nothing...I was all alone with those...Those MONSTERS they called step-parents!"_

_Sickness began to rise in Luffy's chest as he stared blankly. Could all of this be the explanation he'd been looking for?_

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

That face you gave me just about made me break down crying with you. Even when I asked you later what your step-parents did, I already had a clear enough picture to figure it out.

I knew that they hit you whenever you didn't listen to them. They had shaken you down more than once.

Shoved you up against the walls. The worse they could do was throw you into the freezing attic or garage and leave you there without anything to eat. Surrounded by cobwebs and spiders.

Listening to you talk about all the things they did to you, it hurt me more than anything else you could ever imagine...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_For a moment, Luffy reached out in an attempt to snatch Usopp up in his arms, but he only found himself being pushed away._

_Usopp turned away, his face covered in tear stains as he shuddered._

_"No...Don't touch me."_

_"But Usopp..."_

_"I said no!"_

_Silence._

_"...It's all my fault..." His voice sounded hurt, but he didn't pull away this time when he felt an arm on his shoulder._

_"Nothing is your fault..."_

_"You don't even know why they do this to me! Do you want to know why?! Because I'm with you!"_

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I never thought your step-parents had even known we were together. We had mostly kept it a secret from our parents, but somehow they had found out, and they were punishing you for it.

That was probably what made so angry at them. You were following your heart, and they shouldn't be allowed to tell you who you could and couldn't love! Even if they didn't think it was right, that didn't make it right for them to do all that horrible stuff.

You kept crying for so long, I was almost afraid you weren't ever going to stop. Every time I tried to hold you or touch you, I would get pushed away. Like you didn't trust me anymore.

Like I was purposely trying to hurt you somehow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Please, just listen to me, Usopp." Luffy said in his calmest voice. The anger and frustration building up inside him was climbing dangerously high levels, and he didn't want to do anything rash or unreasonable._

_Usopp on the other hand was now curled up on the bed, his hands over his eyes as he wept._

_The images in his mind kept playing over and over like a movie reel with no sound. Being bashed head first into walls, punched in the gut, kicked between the legs..._

_And then, in the midst of it all was Luffy. Sweet, innocent Luffy. A light shining in the middle of a pitch black room._

_But that light wasn't all the bright. Flickering, on and off._

_Usopp's body began to ache terribly, and only when he felt truly like he needed to, he turned slowly towards Luffy._

_In a mere two seconds, he flung his arms around him and buried himself in his chest. Closing his eyes, Luffy returned the gesture with his own warmth covering Usopp, a hand rubbing and patting at his back._

_There was only crying, crying, crying. And then, silence._

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You ended up crying yourself right to sleep. It wasn't long until I realized you were asleep and I could let go. But you know what?

I didn't. I didn't want to let go of you. Didn't want to risk you feeling hurt in whatever dreams you were having.

After this, no matter what it took, I promised I was going to get you help. I would let you live with me forever and I would take care of you, just so that you'd be alright.

Just to make sure you didn't try anything. In the end, I only could off half of that promise.


	5. Silver Beauty

I wasn't oblivious to what you were trying to do, even if you thought I was. Sure, I'd always known you were a bit dark when it came to your emotions, but I always tried to convince myself you would never try anything.

And then one night, I caught you with that knife to your wrists. Oh, Lord, I was praying that you were never going to sink low enough to that level. But you did.

I regret it so much.

--

_The blade slid close enough to his skin that the smallest trickle of blood began to slither down his wrist._

_For a moment, the cut stung deeply before fading away, leaving behind a small pool of blood._

_Usopp sat in the bathtub, his clothes sitting on the sink while the shower head drizzled warm water over him._

_His eyes seemed fixated on the blood still rushing down his wrist and falling onto the pure white porcelain tiles below him._

_The pool of blood was quickly washed away by beads of water, swirling down the drain in ribbons of translucent red._

_Vaguely, Usopp wondered if Luffy was home right at the moment or not. Probably not, he decided, considering that Luffy has been staying out late a bit more often. Does he even remember I still live here?_

_His body shuddered slightly at the thought of any reasons Luffy would have to stay out late, and he quickly brought the blade up again and scratched it over his wrist._

_Water entered the cut quickly, and the sting seemed unbearable before it left him again. The pool of blood below him grew larger, thicker, to the point where it took longer for the water to wash it away._

_Leaning back against the tile, he heaved a long, stuttered sigh._

_"Luffy...I'm sorry..."_

--

I actually did get home a lot earlier than you thought. And the first thing I wanted was to see you. It wasn't like you to hide yourself from me, though.

The shower's pipes can be heard all over the house if you listen hard enough, so I automatically assumed you were taking a shower.

A few knocks on the door, and I waited. And kept waiting for what seemed like forever. I even shouted your name to see if you were listening to me or something.

Still no answer.

I didn't like having to invade your privacy, but I was starting to get worried.

So I got myself a small paperclip and opened it up the way you showed me before, in case it ever got jammed or something.

When I walked in, the first thing I smelled was water and blood.

--

_The room had the hideous smell of blood mixed with the scent of vitamin filled water._

_Walking slowly, Luffy could see the scrunched figure of Usopp in the corner of the shower. Grabbing the curtain, he pulled it back._

_Greeting him was the sight of Usopp leaning on the side of the shower, his eyes shut with his right wrist bleeding hard._

_A bloodied knife lay closer towards the drain._

--

I wanted to scream. I wanted to call a hospital, but I knew that I couldn't. If I did that, they were going to ask about his parents and why he was living with me, and if they talked to his parents then he would get in so much trouble and...

My mind was racing in circles. I was all alone with a half dead body and I didn't have any idea WHAT to do.

The first thing that came to mind was to turn the shower off quickly and haul him out of the tub. Normally I could pick him up with ease, but now he seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.

Grabbing some towels off the rack, I staggered with him in my arms to the bedroom. Blood was dripping everywhere.

--

_Clamoring to the bedroom, Luffy set Usopp's limp body down on the bed, immediately wrapping his bloody wrist with a towel._

_The crimson liquid instantly covered the towel, the rough fabric feeling hot and moist._

_"Usopp!" Luffy yelled, shaking him slightly. His body was shaking with fear. He did not want this to be happening._

_"Don't die on me, Usopp! Don't die on me!"_

_Racing to the bathroom again, he pulled every cupboard open, desperately looking for something to stop the bleeding._

_He dropped the bloody towel in the tub, his hands stained with the blood as well, but it didn't matter. Not then._

_Grabbing the nearest roll of bandages and a few pins, he practically jumped back to the bedroom, the blood on the floor spreading further from stepping into it._

--

I wrapped up his wrist as tightly as possible, and pinned the bandages together. As tight as they were, blood was still soaking through them, so I had to keep changing them.

It seemed like hours before finally, _finally_, the bleeding stopped.

--

_"Usopp...Usopp..." Luffy whispered his name through tears. He watched as Usopp's chest moved up and down slowly, indicating he was still breathing. Still alive._

_Getting on the other side of the bed, Luffy wrapped his arm around Usopp, bringing him close. How could this have happened?_

_WHY did it happen?_

_Usopp...Usopp would never try to hurt himself this way, would he? He had been acting more depressed lately, and yes, he seemed a lot less enthusiastic than before, but it had never occurred to Luffy that he would be suicidel._

_Staring at Usopp's lifeless body, his mind was soon riddled with so many questions...And no answers._

--

I can't really remember much of what happened after that night. You were silent for almost a week, and I was always around you twenty-four hours a day. Even then, I wasn't going to be able to help you.

I tried my best, I really did.

But there are many things I regret.


End file.
